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Allergic reaction to pets

Our pets can be like members of our family, but unfortunately, they can also be an allergy trigger for some people.

This is a challenging but manageable situation. If your pet lives outdoors or spends a lot of time outdoors, when they re-enter the house, they can become a transporter for stowaway outdoor pollen. It would be easy to assume the pet itself was responsible for allergies, but you can find out by wiping them down before they come indoors to remove pollen that may be sticking to their fur.

You may be a “cat person” or a “dog person,” but if you are allergic to cats, it doesn’t mean you are allergic to dogs, too, and vice versa. Of course, the most exact way to find out exactly what you are allergic to is by getting an allergy test.

What is it about pets that cause allergies? The allergens that pets produce are in their urine, saliva, and dander (which are the dead skin cells that flake off regularly through the process of the pet’s natural shedding); it is not due to their fur as is commonly believed. So, it’s not the fur that causes your allergy symptoms but rather the saliva on the fur from the pet’s self-grooming. Once the saliva is dry, it becomes airborne very easily.

Avoiding having a dog or a cat as a pet is obviously the best way to avoid this problem, but if you are committed to keep your pet at all costs, there are ways to help manage your symptoms.